Books for sale!
| Cologne (Köln) Pub Guide |
| Bars - Beerhalls - Beer gardens |
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Books for sale!
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| Introduction | |
| I look back with extreme embarrassment
now at the rubbish I wrote about Cologne when I first put this page together.
I apologise for misleading you. Nearly everything was distorted or plain
wrong. "What," you ask "sort of idiots would we be, if we took your guide seriously, now you yourself admit it was crap?" (I know, dialogue's not my thing, that's why I don't write plays. I'm not sure anything is my thing. . . . .Sorry, falling asleep at the keyboard again.) I'm not sure I can answer that one. Except say - you'll just have to trust me. |
|
 The
cityOf course, extensive remodelling of the city centre by the RAF didn't do the local beer scene a great deal of good. Of the 35 Brauhäuser in 1921, only a handful remain, even as pubs alone. Is this the reason why the altstadt is so quiet? I'm not so sure now. Looking at all my material (and Kölsch is surprisingly well documented) it is clear that even before WW II Cologne had distributed many town--centre functions to the encircling districts. Really everything within the Ring should be considered as the centre. It helps if you think of the city as having three parts:
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| Cologne Traffic I will stick by what I said about traffic in Cologne. Badly thought-out road schemes, which don't so much ignore the interests of the pedestrian as deliberately conspire against them, are still to be found. On my last visit they were fiddling about on the Heumarkt, previously one of the most frustrating spots. Hopefully the new road alignment will offer some improvement for the pedestrian. |
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| Cologne
pubs Köbes Blue-clad waiters, or Köbes as they are usually called, are a feature of Kölsch brewpubs. Given their workload, it's not a job I would want to do myself. John Simpson describes the origin of their name and their particular brand of humour. |
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Getting things wrong Believe it or not, there are several other things I've got wrong in the past. Amazing isn't it? But when it comes to getting things wrong big-time, it's difficult to better my ex-boss. The poor man thought (and probably still does) that he was a modern, efficient manager, respected by his staff. In reality, he was a buffoon spouting meaningless jargon, ridiculed behind his back. I wasn't the only one who found it hard to listen to one of his management talks without bursting out in spontaneous laughter. It wasn't lack of commitment that stopped me attending his meetings: it was the inability to keep a straight face. |
| The Altstadt has many of
the city's remaining historic pubs, including several former brewpubs (Früh,
Sion, Malzmühle). Unfortunately,
it's an area not greatly used by the locals and is mostly given over to
tourists. A shame, because there are some excellent boozers in this part
of the city. A lot more outdoor seating has been added in recent years, especially in the area between the Alter Markt and the Rhine. |
The Innenstadt,
like the shopping districts of most large cities, isn't great for pubs.
Plenty of the local population buying clothes, but not really much in the
way of interesting beer drinking opportunities. |
| If you want to do your drinking squashed
in a crowd of yuppies, then head further out. Pressed against the Ring
are the districts where the beautiful young things go to pose. It's not to my taste at all, honestly. I'm just letting you know in case your desires are perverted in that way. Should you need to satisfy this type of sick craving, there are plenty of opportunities between Friesenplatz, Rudolfplatz and Barbarossaplatz or in the "Belgisches Viertel" (just the other side of Hohenzollernring, where the streets are named after Belgian - or Dutch - towns). Though even the determinedly old and crusty amongst us have one good reason for plunging into this yuppie hell - the Pfäffgen brewpub is almost within puking distance of Friesenplatz. |
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| General tourist stuff The KölnTourismus (Cologne Tourist Board) website should be able to provide any non beer-related information you need. Public transport in the city is run by the Kölner Verkehrsbetrieb, who organise the trams, buses and metro lines. Other attractions What else is there to attract the visitor? The Römisch-Germanische Museum (Roman-German museum), which despite its hideous modernist exterior, provides an excellent record of the long history of Cologne. The Hauptbahnhof, is very pretty and, most usefully for the traveller, is slap bang in the city centre. A couple of the historic brewhouses have either survived the bombing or arisen from their ashes and are, for those of you as beer obsessed as I, worth taking a look at. Finally, I would suggest purchasing a copy of "Prosit Colonia" by Franz Mathar. This excellent book catalogues Cologne's brewpubs and beerhalls. Compare the photos of pre-war Cologne with the modern city and reflect upon the tragedy of senseless destruction. (Especially when it's pubs and breweries that are getting blown up. I find the photograph of a pile of rubble on which someone has placed a neatly-painted sign saying "Barbarossa-brauerei" particularly poignant.) |
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Those
little stupid Kölsch glasses - an anecdote On
my last trip to Cologne, I took my son Andrew to the Römisch-Germanische
Museum. When we came out, there was still an hour and a quarter
before our appointment with the rest of the family. It's not hard to guess
my opinion of the best way to use that time. Occasionally, I can be very
organised. I had a map, marked with pubs I needed to visit, as well as the
map I carry around in my head at all times. How could I persuade Andrew
to traipse around them all?"How many pubs do you think I get around in 75 minutes, Andrew?" "Four or Five" It's a happy day for the parents when a child learns the value of money. Then they can be bribed. And often with laughably small amounts of cash. It's embarrassing, really, how little you need to offer. But not quite enough to stop me doing it. The list of pubs in my head was getting no shorter. "Pah! I bet I can do eight, no trouble. Five euros says I can." Andrew is surprisingly knowledgeable about pubs and beer for his tender years. He's seen me knocking back pints in England, liters in Bavaria, 33 cls of Trappist in Belgium. He has a pretty good idea of how long it takes me to drink a beer. It's no wonder he thought that he was onto a winner. Whereas I, for the first time I could see an advantage in the irritatingly minute glasses they serve Kölsch in. He wasn't looking so cocky after I knocked off Alter Markt Treff and Kulisse in five minutes. That was three more than they deserved. In Pfaffen, Andrew insisted I photograph the statue tables - no easy feat, in the gloomiest corner of the pub, with my camera. It wasted valuable drinking time. He isn't daft. His optimism was brief. When I cheekily ordered a second in Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass (it is Päffgen Kölsch, straight from a wooden cask, after all), he knew the game was up. A quick exit from Sünner im Walfisch, thanks to a friendly, efficient waitress, took away his last hope. Four down, loads of time left. Confidently, I chose Biermuseum, where all draughts are 40 cl , as our next stop. A couple of minutes were enough to dispatch a Doppelbock (I was in too much of a rush to ask which). Not even the 10 minutes we hung around in Haxenhaus zum Rheingarten before a surly waiter threw a menu at us, could perk Andrew up. Especially when, pissed off at being made to sit at the bar in a half-empty pub, I downed my expensive Kölsch (1.70, 20 cents more than the most I paid anywhere else) in one. By the time we hit Im Martinswinkel, he had lost interest in our bet. Like me, he's fascinated by history. He was soon drawn to the "look what carpet bombing does to an historic city" photos. You see them a lot in Cologne. I can understand why. I made it with five minutes to spare. Even after doubling up in en d'r Salzgass and being ignored in Haxenhaus. One of the most pleasurable five euros I've ever earned. I got to drink my favourite Kölsch, visit two places in this guide I had never been inside before and find a new pub to add. So the next time I begin to burst with frustration at being continually in need of a fresh beer because of those stupid, tiny Kölsch glasses, I'll remember that they can be, if only very occasionally, quite useful. |
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| Kölsch | |
What is Kölsch?In this section, time turned me into a liar. A drastic restructuring has left the city with only a handful of breweries. Though you might not realise the fact strolling around Cologne. The breweries may have gone, but their Kölsch brands live on, most of them now brewed at the former Küppers plant. It's a great pity.So there goes Cologne's unlikely claim to beery fame - most breweries of any German town. Don't ask me who has taken on this honour - I'm reluctant to pin myself down again when events can so quickly make me look an idiot. I will pass on the handy information that between 1890 and 1910 33 new breweries were founded in the city. That's why they call the period "Gründerzeit". Cologne does still have its own style of beer, the only one in Germany to have a sort of 'apellation controlée'. The style is called Kölsch after the local dialect word for 'of Cologne'. Even if they all come from one brewery, Kölsch still has to be brewed in the Cologne area. In the 1980's 24 (now mostly disappeared) breweries drew up a document called the 'Kölsch Convention' to protect the style from outside imitations. |
Kölsch Convention According to the 'Kölsch Convention', an agreement between the German government and brewers, a beer may only be called Kölsch if it meets the following criteria:
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How does Kölsch taste?A relative of the Altbier brewed in other parts of the rhineland, Kölsch is a survivor from the pre-lager brewing tradition of North Germany, belonging to the family of Rheinländische Bitterbier. This century, under pressure from newer, bottom-fermenting beers, it has undergone a good deal of change. Most notable of these, is the lightening of the colour to pale yellow, giving it the appearance of a pils. You could call it 'the ale that wants to be a lager' and I'm sure that would many, in a blind tasting, would classify it as the latter.There is little ale character to be found, apart from a little fruitiness. It has a very soft, rounded character and can be quite sweet. Bavarian helles and Dortmunder export are closer relatives in flavour than Düsseldorf altbier. Not beers likely to acquire the devoted and obsessive following that lambiek, trappist ale or a particularly flavoursome bitter might, but of interest as an odd, hybrid style. |
|
 I
don't want to sound too negative. Früh Kölsch
is a lovely beer. I'll happily drink it, as long as those nice gentlemen
in blue keep bringing it. Not to mention Päffgen Kölsch, one of
Germany's top standard-strength beers. In many a Brauhaus, even those that
no longer brew, beer is still served direct from a wooden barrel. Even small
neighbourhood bars often have a small plastic cask of Kölsch on the
bar. Some breweries take advantage of the different rules for top-fermenting beer in the Reinheitsgebot by using a proportion of wheat malt. I assume to lighten the body or for head retention. I guess they had no other option when the use of rice was banned around 1900 when the Reinheitsgebot was introduced to this part of Germany. For more about Cologne breweries (especially which ones still really exist) and their beers look here. |
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| Kölner
Brauerei Verband The Cologne brewers' organistaion and upholders of the Kölsch-Konvention. On their site, you can discover more about the history of brewing in Cologne and Kölsch (in German, I'm afraid). Both are very extensive and well-researched - amongst the best sites on beer history I've found on the web. |
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| Take
a copywith you You can purchase a printed copy or pdf file of this guide (which includes pub guides to other towns in the vicinity) here: Trips! (West) |
| Map Index | ||
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Altstadt
Pubs
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| Biermuseum | |
| Buttermarkt 39, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel.: 0221 - 257 7802 |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun 14:00 - 03:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 18 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Beer €2.70 - 3.00 for 0.4l. | |
 The
name is a bit exaggerated, but there are many more draught beers than you
usually see in Germany. Just a pity so many of them are pils.It's in the impersonal, slightly depressing, bland style of so many German pubs. A few enamel brewery adverts cheer it up a bit. Not enough to tempt me to linger that long, though. But sooner or later, if you spend more than 15 minutes drinking in Cologne, you'll get fed up with Kölsch. And those bloody stupid little glasses. Biermuseum offers relief from both. Draught beer comes in 40 cl glasses. |
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| Rating: ** | Public transport: |
| Früh am Dom | |
| Am Hof, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel. (0221) 258 0389 http://www.frueh.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 08:00-24:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 1 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Snacks, meals, beer €1.50 for 0.2l. | |
 In
1898 P.J. Früh moved his brewery into this building, which had previously
housed the Central-Theater. It survived three fires during the war and careful
reconstruction has left it a rare reminder of the pre-war city. Its other main claim to fame, is its very useful location no more than a 5-minute walk from the main railway station. If you're changing trains in Cologne, it's quite possible to nip there, have a couple of beers and be back on the platform inside half an hour (I have tested this scientifically, risking a night dossing on the platform). The brewery itself is no longer housed here. It would be difficult to brew the 400,000 hl of beer that Früh produces each year on a site of this size. The main room has a medieval atmosphere and conjures up the image of a baronial dining hall. A little grand, but comfortable and not as intimidating as you would imagine. |
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 Adjacent to the beer serving area is a distinctly more mundane taproom. But you do get the entertainment of a stream of waiters loading their trays. Not forgetting the wonderful assortment of odd-sized barrels from which the glasses of fresh Kölsch are poured. The pub has been extended into the building next door, where they target diners rather than drinkers. Every time I visit Früh they've found a new direction in which to expand - upwards, downwards, sideways - they'll need to use extra dimensions soon. From the second cellar down right up to the roof, everything is used. It's the only bar I know with both a lift and a cash machine. It definitely needs the first. At least they've made a fair effort in the newer extensions to maintain the atmosphere of the original pub. Just as well, as there's a good chance that's where you'll be sitting if you arrive much after opening time. Otherwise, only luck or the foresight to book a table will get you a spot in the oldest room. |
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| Rating: ***** | Public transport: |
| Brauhaus Sion | |
| Unter Taschenmacher 5, 50668 Köln (Altstadt). Tel. (0221) 257 8540 http://www.brauhaus-sion.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 10:00-00:30 | |
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks, beer €1.50 for 0.2l. | |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: |
| Gaffel Haus | |
| Alter Markt 20-22, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel. (0221) 257 7692 Fax (0221) 253 879 Email: info@gaffel-haus.de Homepage: http://www.gaffel-haus.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00-01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Snacks €3-5, meals €5-11, beer €1.30 for 0.2l | |
| This is another rare survivor of the war, though it was completely gutted.
It's just a shame that the Zur Bretzel brewery which it used to house is no longer
with us. The 16th century building is now the city-centre tap of the Gaffel brewery.
The interior is richly decorated in old tiles, but the bar area is a bit too much like a standard modern crap German pub. Having a duff pop station on the radio behind the bar does little for the old world atmosphere. Further into the pub the parts more for dining have been more sympathetically treated. Sadly, the beer is served on top pressure. I find the idea of a 'light' kölsch amusing. The standard version is hardly a heavy beer. |
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| Rating: ** | Public transport: |
| Brauereiausschanks zum Pfaffen - Max Päffgen | |
| Heumarkt 62, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel. 0221 - 257 7765 Fax: 0221 - 257 9947 http://www.max-paeffgen.de |
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| Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 12:00-24:00 Mon: Closed |
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| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Meals €9-13, snacks €3-9. Beer €1.45 for 0.2l. | |
 You
can see that my beautiful photograph is already out of date. The pub is
no longer called Altstadt-Päffgen. A dispute between members of the Päffgen
leading to a change of name the beer sold. Which is a pain in the bum if
you want to try Päffgen Kölsch, because they don't sell it any more. Look,
you're not that unfit are you? It's only a kilometer or so to the Päffgen
brewpub.You don't need me to tell you that the exterior is very fine (see beautiful photo). Nothing has changed inside. It's still a charming old pub, which is one of the cosiest in the city centre. There's lots of wood, tiles and leaded glass. The beer now comes from a brand-new brewery, built by the owners of this pub, which is located just outside Cologne. As you can see, it's served from the wood, as good beer should. Though not as good as Päffgen, the Kölsch is tasty and non-industrial. |
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 The
only slight reservation is that it is on the restaurant side of pub-restaurant,
but that seems to be the case in most of the Cologne beer halls. On the
other hand, the local dishes it sells are very tasty and reasonably good
value. There is a small standing area about half way towards the back, adjacent to the servery. The tables, rather amusingly, have the heads of bronze sculptures protruding through a hole in the middle. I'm crap at describing things. Which is why I took the photo you can see to the right. There is a small beer garden at the rear. If you're really after Päffgen Kölsch, Brauhaus en d'r Salzgass is only about 20 meters away. |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: |
| Brauerei Zur Malzmühle | |
| Heumarkt 6, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel. (0221) 210 117 Homepage: http://www.muehlenkoelsch.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10:00-24:00 Sun: 11:00-23:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Meals, snacks. | |
| You may well curse town planners (and who hasn't done that,
at one time or another?) as you make your way here. They've thrown obstacles
of every kind - half a dozen pelican crossings and an industrial strength
tram line - in the pedestrian's path. Your perseverance will be rewarded
with probably the best pub in the Altstadt. The second of Cologne's real brewpubs, it has been lovingly recreated from wartime ruins. It has a room either side of the entrance (in 1945 all that remained was the stone frame of the doorway). Wood-panelled walls and pine-topped tables give it a pubby feel. The beer is well-liked locally and with good reason - it's very nice indeed. Kölsch doesn't need to be bland. Good ones like this are what get me irritated with brewers making the duller versions. Päffgen is bitter, Früh is hoppy and Malzmühle is malty: that's how I would sum up the three distinctive examples. Though, all three are light-bodied and dry. There's a decent selection of local food, but the emphasis is more on drinking. There are monumental views of the city in various periods of its history attached (hopefully securely) high on the walls. Friendly service and the waiter, having noticed the thick English accent when I ordered, quipped "two beer or not two beer" when he brought my drinks. I'm still waiting to hear a barman in an English pub make a joke in German. |
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| Rating: ***** | Public transport: |
| Alt Köln am Dom | |
| Trankgasse 7-9, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel: 0221 - 137471 Fax: 0221 - 136885 Email: info@altkoeln-am-dom.de http://www.altkoeln-am-dom.de |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11:00-24:00 Fri - Sat: 11:00-01:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Meals €8-18, snacks €3-8, beer €1.40 for 0.2l. | |
| I've managed to miss off the photograph the most distinctive external
feature of this pub: a strange astronomical clock. Now, the town hall in Prague is
a fitting site for such renaissance whimsy. On a 1950's office block it doesn't have
quite the same effect. While plastic rustic does have its charms, I will make no attempt to convince you that this is the world's greatest pub. White plaster walls and fake black beams remind me too much of bad pub refurbishments for me to endure them long. The interior is huge, stretching far back from the street. You would be well advised to venture at least some distance into the heart of this darkness. For to the rear are the more tastefully appointed rooms, all stained glass and heavy carved wood. The first floor has more seating, just in case the 1500 places downstairs all get filled. I wouldn't spend too much time on the tourist-trap adjoining the pavement. I always feel very strange when I watch Japanese tourists order food in a German pub. It's a strange emotion, mostly made up of pity but with a pinch of embarrassment, too. Why have I included Alt Köln? Well, it's even closer to the Hauptbahnhof than Früh. It's in a very prominent spot and, with its clock and bells, quite hard to ignore. I've always wondered what it was like as a pub. Not great, as it turns out. So now you know. ***** I think this pub has closed ***** |
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| Rating: ** | Public transport: |
| Haxenhaus zum Rheingarten | |
| Frankenwerft 19, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel: (0221) 25 77 966 Fax: (0221) 25 81 780 Email: info@haxenhaus.de Homepage: http://www.haxenhaus.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11:00-01:00, Fri - Sat 11:00-03:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks. Beer €1.70 for 0.2l. | |
 An
ancient house close to the banks of the Rhine which specialises in medieval
food and atmosphere. There are two entrances - one on the Rhine, the other
on the street behind.Its single square room is kitted out in typical Brauhaus-style, with long pine-topped tables and panelled walls. Against wall is an impressive carved thing, whose precise function I was unable to discern. I was pleasantly surprised. So many German pubs which look beautiful from the outside have crass, modern interiors. |
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 So far, so good. Not a bad place for a beer, I thought and sat at one of the tables. After about 10 minutes, a waiter finally came and threw a menu at me. "We only want to drink" I said. "You have to sit at the bar to drink." was his rather curt reply. If more than a quarter of the tables had been occupied and it hadn't been half past three in the afternoon, I could have perhaps understood this stipulation. As it was all of the above, he was just being a miserable twat. So, despite being rather pleasing on the eye, I'm only going to give it a single star. Oh yes, and the Kölsch, at €1.70 for 20 cl, is the most expensive I've ever had in Cologne. The menu includes something called "Trapistenlamm" - lamb in a dark beer sauce. (Front exterior photograph by John Hein) |
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| Rating: * | Public transport: |
| Im Martinswinkel | |
| Firschmarkt 9, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel: (0221) 271 7786 Fax: (0221) 201 9568 http://www.martinswinkel.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Sun-Thur 11:00 - 23:00, Fri-Sat 11:00 - 01:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Snacks €, meals €. Beer €2.30 for 0.3l. | |
 Martinswinkel
is at one end of a short row of old houses which (more or less) made it
through the war. It's rather a pleasant street, with nothing other than
a short expanse of greenery between it and the Rhine. Inside, it unfortunately has the uninspired décor that is standard in German pubs. The leaded glass in the ceiling doesn't look too bad, but what the hell is that red telephone box doing there? But the staff are friendly and efficient. I've been in far, far worse places. And it sells one of the less-common brands of Kölsch, Ganser, even if it is just another from the Dom Brauerei. What most caught my attention was a series of photographs, all taken from about the same angle, showing this part of the street before, during and after the war. A chilling reminder of the horrific destruction caused by the RAF's indiscriminate bombing of the city. As you can see on the photo above, there's some outdoor seating. What you can't see, is its uninterrupted (at least apart from a road) of the river Rhine. |
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| Rating: ** | Public transport: |
| Brauhaus im Roten Ochsen | |
| Thurnmarkt 7, 50676 Köln (Altstadt-Süd). Tel. (0221) 920 710 Fax (0221) 920 7119 http://www.paulaner-cologne.com/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11:30-01:00 Sat: 10:00-01:00 Sun: 10:00-23:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 3 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Snacks €3-9, meals €9-15. | |
| Sadly no longer a Paulaner outlet, Roten Ochsenis located by the Rhine just past
the Deutzer Brücke. Conveniently, it's just around
the corner from Malzmühle (follow the main road heading towards the
river). Like everywhere else in Cologne, it used to be a brewpub, until this part of town was turned into rubble in 1943. It was rebuilt during the 1960's in the tacky style typical of the period. The interior is in a vague Bavarian style, with long benches and tables. The beer garden at the front, beneath mature trees, would be wonderful, if not for the heavy lorries thundering along the dual carriageway cutting it off from the Rhine. It sells the usual Bavarian fare of half pigs, weisswurst, etc. Surprisingly, no pilsner is on sale (Photograph by John Hein) |
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| Rating: *** | Public transport: |
| Peters Brauhaus | |
| Mühlengasse 1, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel. (0221) 257 3950 http://www.peters-brauhaus.de/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00-24:30 | |
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Meals €7-15, snacks €2-6, beer €1.35 for 0.2l. | |
 Peters
is one of the remaining real Kölsch brewers, though they aren't based
in Cologne, but in Monheim.This is the brewery's showcase outlet, located in an alleyway just off the Alter Markt. The building used to be home to Brauhaus "Zum Kranz", which stopped brewing in 1898 and closed its doors as a pub in 1907. At the end of the war left little more than the facade remained. Peters reopened it in 1994, after having lovingly recreated a traditional Brauhaus interior. They really have done a great job inside. The pub rambles around in a convincingly shambolic manner, with rooms of all shapes and sizes filling the substantial premises. Go in through the main entrance (which is the second one you come to when walking along Mühlengasse from the Markt) and you'll find a small taproom to your right. To your left you'll find space to seat an army or two. Pine-topped tables, leaded glass, panelled walls - it has all of the features you would expect. I'll leave it at that. The beer garden, confusingly, is on the Altermarkt itself. But I suppose that gives you a bit more of a view than in the narrow alley where the pub sits. Fortunately, they shift the Kölsch quickly enough so that, despite the barrel's frighteningly exposed position, it's served at a pleasantly cool temperature. It could have been something to do with the thermometer pushing up towards 40º C, but the Kölsch tasted particularly good under the shade of the umbrellas. I would definitely recommend coming here when the weather is warm. |
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| Rating: **** | Public transport: |
| Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass | |
| Salzgasse 5-7, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel.: (0221) 800 1900 Fax: (0221) 800 1901 http://www.bierhaus-salzgass.de |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 12:00 - | |
| Number of draught beers : 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
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| Food: Meals €8-15, snacks €6-12, Kölsch €1.40 0.2 l | |
 A
very handy-to-know outlet for the excellent Päffgen
Kölsch in the city centre.Guess what - this used to be brewery. Brauhaus Zur Täsch (as it was then called) brewed up until 1907, after which it continued simply as a pub. It finally closed in the 1970's, but has recently reopened. The roomy interior looks as if it's been looted from a church. Very gothic. For furniture you'll find the brauhaus standard of pine-topped tables and long benches. There's a small beer garden at the rear. The beer is, as it should be, served from oak barrels. As with most of the pubs I like in Cologne, its seems to have no difficulty in attracting customers. A couple more decades of knocking off the rough edges could male it a classic. As long as they keep serving Päffgen. |
|
| Rating: *** | Public transport: |
| Wirtshaus Schwejk | |
| An Groß St. Martin 2, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel: 0221 - 258 0634 http://www.wirtshaus-schwejk.de |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun 11:00 - 01:00 (April
- September), Mon - Sun 15:00 - 01:00 (October - March) |
|
| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Snacks €3-8, meals €7-18. | |
| A Czech restaurant in a fairly nasty modern building slap
in the centre of the Altstadt. It has a reasonably sized (for the city centre) beer garden at the front. |
|
| Rating: ** | Public transport: |
| Sünner im Walfisch | |
| Salzgasse 13, 50667 Köln (Altstadt). Tel.: (0221) 257 7879 Fax: (0221) 257 7809 www.walfisch.net http://www.suenner-koelsch.de/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 17:00-01:00 Fri: 15:00-02:00 Sat - Sun: 11:00-02:00 |
|
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks. | |
 Walfisch
is a fine old step-gabled house, but it hasn't always been on Salzgasse.
When the nearby Tipsgasse was abolished in a bit of 1930's planning, the
house was moved brick by brick to its current spot. It was reopened as a
Sünner Ausschank in 1996, after an expensive refurbishment.The site does have a beery history, however, "Zum Kirchenbrauhaus" having been here until it closed in 1889. (Sometimes I get the idea it would be simpler to list the houses in Cologne which haven't been brewpubs at some point.) In the 1950's it was - excuse me while I spit - a wine bar. They've done a far better job of recreating a Brauhaus feel than some other Altstadt pubs. It has a tiny, standup taproom next to the entrance and a further room with the pine tables you would expect. Small, but cosy. I'll be adding it to my standard Altstadt crawl. What greater praise is there than that? The menu includes Cologne favourites such as "Halven Hahn" (read Michael Jackson if you want to know what it really is). |
|
| Rating: **** | Public transport: |
|
Innenstadt
Pubs
|
| Brauhaus Reissdorf | |
| Kleiner Griechenmarkt 40 50676 Köln (Innenstadt). Tel. (0221) 219 254 http://www.brauhaus-reissdorf.de/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 16:00-24:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
|
|
| Food: Meals, snacks. Kölsch €1.25 for 0.2l | |
 From
the inside you would never guess that were at the bottom of a modern block
of flats. All the typical features of a Brauhaus have been recreated - panelled
walls, pine-topped tables, surly barstaff. Sorry, the last one isn't typical.
There are a couple of rooms, randomly adorned with old copper things and prints. Continuing the copper theme, the top of a copper brewing kettle forms a little roof over the bar. I wonder if it's real? It has enough twiddly bits without decorative function to suggest that it is. I suppose it could have been put to worse uses, like being melted down for shell cases (which is waht happened to many Belgian breweries in WW I). As I visited at a quiet time - early on a Saturday afternoon - I'll give them the benefir of the doubt on the atmosphere front. It was a bit dead, but the weather was unusually warm for the time of year. Perhaps all the charming local characters were sunbathing. Reissdorf is one of the better commercial Kölsches and is helped here by being served by gravity from a small cask behind the bar. |
|
| Rating: ** | Public transport: U-Bahn line 6 to Poststrasse. |
| Brennerei Weiß | |
| Hahnenstr. 22, 50667 Köln (Innenstadt). Tel. (0221) 257 4638 Email: info@brennerei-weiss.com Homepage: http://www.brennerei-weiss.com/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00-24:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks. | |
| Supposedly Cologne's only gay Brauhaus. (Photograph by John Hein) |
|
| Rating: | Public transport: |
| Weissbräu zu Köln | |
| Am Weidenbach 24/Pantaleonswall, 50676 Köln (Innenstadt). Tel.: (0221) 231 823 Fax: (0221) 247 993 E-Mail: info@weiss-braeu.de http://www.hb-ts.de/page-haus/weissbrau.html |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00-01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals €6-13, snacks €3-9. Beer €3.50 for 0.5 l. | |
 Just
for variety, this is one building that managed to get through the war almost
unscathed. Which is slightly irritating, as the "Obergäriges Brauhaus
Johann Weiden " had stopped brewing in 1929.Which you might have expected to be the end of the story. But in 1991 it was reopened (by a Bavarian company who run a chain of these things) as a brewpub. The combination of beers brewed - Kölsch and Bavarian-style lagers - make it quite unusual. In case the dirty great copper kettle in the window hadn't already tipped you off, the panelling and pine theme confirms that this is a brewery. So far, very typical for Cologne, now for the beer. What's this - a half litre steinkrug? Have a wandered through a wormhole into Bavaria? Very authentic and all that, but id doesn't really let me judge the hue of my Schwarzbier. I order a Kölsch and reality is restored - it comes in one of those silly little tubes. But I can't complain of its quality, which is rather good.  My
son Andrew was delighted to see that the Bavarian influence extended to
the menu. He's been a big fan of Nürnberger Rostbratwürste since
our visit to Nuremberg. Yum, yum. And not expensive, either. |
|
| Rating: *** | Public transport: U-Bahn to |
|
Ring
Pubs
|
| Braustelle | |
| Christianstr. 2, 50825 Köln (Ehrenfeld). Tel. (0221) 285 6932 brauarbeiter@braustelle.com http://www.braustelle.com/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 18:00 - 01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks. | |
| Brewpub in a 19th century building. Supposedly the smallest Brauhaus in Cologne. Their website is one of the most annoying I've come across (which is saying something). (Photograph by John Hein) |
|
| Rating: | Public transport:U-Bahn 3 or 4 to Leyendeckerstrasse |
| Hellers Brauhaus | |
| Roonstr. 33 50674 Köln (Kwartier Latäng) Tel. (0221) 240 1881 Homepage: http://www.hellers-brauhaus.de/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 18:00-01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 4 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks. | |
 Brewpub
cliches were formed in my brain even as I stood dodging cars in the middle
of the road taking the photograph above. How could I avoid the p-words?
What relief I felt on stepping over the threshold.But - bugger - now the c-word is gnawing at my stomach like an alien hatchling. Here goes. Hellers is more contemporary take on the Cologne Brauhaus theme. The bar back is anything but traditional, but no less pleasing on the eye for that. You're lucky that I'm becoming more diligent in my photography. "Its depth belies it's narrow frontage" say my notes. I hope the photos above and to the left demonstrate what I mean. They better had, because I've run out of words. Andrew found the front bar scary in a seating sense. The raised bench seating along one wall has a giant mirror suspended at a disconcerting angle. What about the other side? Well, that only has a sled laden with wooden barrels above it (see photo below).  The
copper still above the bar puzzled me Isn't this a brewery? Where's the
brewing kit?I like it that Cologne's new brewpubs brew the local style. But having just Kölsch and Wiess (an unfiltered variant of Kölsch) on draught, isn't wildly experimental, to say the least. In bottles, they offer: Hellers Mailbock Hellers Eurobock Hellers Weizen Hellers Weizenbock. |
|
| Rating: *** | Public transport: U8, U9, U6, U15, U17, U19 to Zülpicher Platz |
| Gaststätte Lommerzheim | |
| Siegesstr. 18, 50679 Köln (Deutz). Tel.: (0221) 814 392 |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 10:45 - 14:00 & 16:30
- 24:00 Tuesday Closed |
|
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Meals, snacks. | |
|
It was a sad day when Lommi's closed on the retirement of the landlord
on 28th December 2004. If only because I'd never visited this legendary
pub, despite being warned it was likely to close soon. Hans Lommerzheim
had been running for more than 50 years. He had to be past retirement
age. It's on the west bank of the Rhine. That's my main excuse for never
making it there. And my fear of bridges. I won't go into it further here.
Why did I choose to live in Amsterdam? In March 2008, Lommi's reopened. I'm so pleased: I will be able to experience this cult boozer after all. According to this report in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, new owner Rudolf Päffgen has tried to leave everything as it was. Judging by the photo, bomb damage was patched up just after the war. Let's hope they replaced all the window panes. I'm a big fan of genuine age in a building, but broken windows never look good. Just asking for an arsonist to come calling. I'm assuming that's a Päffgen from the brewing family who's taken over the pub. Päffgen Kölsch was what they served, so it would seem logical. But maybe it's the rival branch that runs Pfaffen. Either way, there'll be good beer. (The rather nice photograph above was taken by Laurent Mousson) |
|
| Rating: | Public transport: |
| Die Hausbrauerei Päffgen | |
| Friesenstraße 64 - 66, 50670 Köln (Friesenviertel). Tel: (0221) 135461 Fax : (0221) 1392005 email: webmaster@paeffgen-koelsch.de http://www.paeffgen-koelsch.de/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Sun-Thur: 10:00-24:00 Fri-Sat: 10:00-00:30 |
|
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
|
|
| Food: Snacks €3-7, meals €7-12. | |
| This is where Päffgen brews, sadly at a location not terribly
convenient for the casual visitor. We're out dangerously close to yuppie
land. If you come via Friesenplatz U-Bahn station on a weekend evening,
you'll have to pass through this dangerous territory. Be brave. Päffgen
is a must visit (not a Cologne must visit, but a European must
visit). Should you wish to do that shopping thing, Päffgen isn't
that far past the bit of town where that sort of stuff goes on. You could
walk it. It's only about 1 km from the station/cathedral. (For lazy gits:
from Hauptbahnhof U5 two stops to Friesenplatz.) I try to do my background research when writing these guides and there is material aplenty about Cologne. I have learnt that I am not alone in my admiration for Päffgen Kölsch. There are plenty of local fans for both it and Malzmühle (another favourite of mine). Taking the Kölsch-konvenzion seriously, this is the type of beer you would expect to get. Light, but quite bitter and aromatically hoppy. Very, very drinkable. The tiny glasses can be frustrating when you get a bit of a thirst going. I always dread this bit. How the bloody hell do I think of a new way to tell you lot about the white pine tops to the tables? Is there a new twist to the wood panelling? The oak barrels in the corridor spouting Kölsch - is there anything you haven't already heard me say extolling the virtues of this method of serving beer? No. I think that I've used up my thesaurus for brewpub/ brewery tap/ ausschank or whatever. Päffgen is a very good example of a traditional Rhineland brewpub. The brewery is there for everyone to see, joined to the pub by a roofed-in courtyard. If you've been in one of these places, you'll know exactly what to expect inside. Half pigs roasted. Sacks of potatoes fried. And served on one plate. It was founded in 1883, at the height of the "Gründerzeit". I hope that I don't upset local chauvinists when I say: it's as good as being in Düsseldorf. |
|
| Rating: ***** | Public transport: U3, U4, U5, U6, U15, U17, U19 to Friesenplatz. |
| Brauhaus Pütz | |
| Engelbertstr. 67, 50674 Köln (Belgisches Viertel). Tel. (0221) 211 166 |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 17:00-01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
Regular draught beers:
|
|
| Food: Meals €5-13, snacks €3-5, kölsch €1.20 for 0.2l. | |
| Pütz is a fairly traditional Kölsch house out just past the
Ring to the southwest of the city centre. Don't worry, plenty of U-Bahns come this
way, if you're a lazy git. It's pretty cheap and they have Mühlen Kölsch straight from oak barrels. Sounds good enough to me. (Photograph by John Hein) |
|
| Rating: | Public transport: U-Bahn U1, U6, U7, U15, U17, U19, Rudolfplatz. |
| Brauhaus Gaststätte Schreckenskammer | |
| Ursulagartenstr. 11-15, 50668 Köln (Nordstadt). Telefon: (0221) 132 581 Homepage: http://www.schreckenskammer.com/ |
 |
| Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11:00-13:45 & 16:30-22:30 Sat: 11:00-14:00 Sunday Closed |
|
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 0 | |
| Regular draught beers : | |
| Food: Meals, snacks, kölsch €1.30 for 0.2l. | |
| Follow the railway line 200 meters past the Hauptbahnhof and
you'll discover Schreckenskammer hidden around the back of St. Ursula church.
Like much of the rest of central Cologne, it was bombed out during 1943. It was rebuilt after the war (minus the brewery) and is in a typical German 1950's style. It's been in the hands of the Witz family since the 1930's. |
|
| Rating: | Public transport: |
| Haus Töller | |
| Weyerstr. 96, 50676 Köln. Tel: 0221 - 258 9316 |
|
| Opening hours: Mon - Sat 17:00 - open end, Sunday and public holidays closed. |
|
| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: | |
Regular draught beers:
|
|
| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
This is a a tip from Laurent Mousson, who reports:"Mostly locals haunt the place, which is very traditional and rather quiet, but has tons of atmosphere. Gravity-served Päffgen, which in itself is a good sign of the general quality of the place. Food is excellent, cooked on the premises, and is excellent, plain, solid and tasty. Excellent Bratwirst, Himmel und Ääd mit Flönz, murderous Hämchens, even the roastbeef is ver ynice. The Hämchensülze is of a quality rarely seen elsewhere, and the Apfelstrudel (with almonds) is one of the best I've ever had, with a subdued vanilla sauce thats just cream with a touch of vanilla and sugar. In fact, we returned there twice, just to make sure our first impression was right, and had a go at pretty much everything on the menu (there were five of us)... " |
|
| Rating: | Public transport: |
|
Beer
Shops
|
| Getränke Markt Weber | |
| Vogelsanger Strasse 356-358, 50827 Köln-Bickendorf. Tel: 0221 - 585 983 Fax: 0221 - 580 2989 http://www.getraenke-weber.com/ |
|
| Opening hours: | |
| Number of draught beers: 5 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 90 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: n/a | |
| A getränke markt with a range of mostly Pilsner and
Kölsch, though with the odd more interesting style. Gaffel, Reissdorf,
Sion and Früh are available in small barrels. |
|
| Rating: | Public transport: |
© Ron Pattinson 1998 - 2014
All articles and photos on these pages (unless otherwise
stated) are property of Ron Pattinson. If you would like permission to reproduce
either on your own site or in a book, please contact me first.
Sion
wasn't as fortunate as Früh and ended the war as a pile of rubble. A new,
larger brewpub was constructed on the same site, though there's been no
brewing here for many years. The beer, like almost every other Kölsch,
comes from the old Küppers plant. 
The
foods very German and very good. As well as reasonably priced. 
One
of Gilden's city centre outlets. Lintgasse is the last alleyway off the
Alter Markt (if you're heading South from the Dom) on the Rhine side.
I've
intended visiting Schreckenskammer for many years. It's not far from the
Hauptbahnhof, but being in the opposite direction to the city centre, it
requires a little planning to fit into a crawl. Planning, that's what buggered
my attempt. I forgot to check Schreckenskammer's opening times. It's bound
to open on a Saturday afternoon, isn't it? All the pubs in Cologne do. Except
Schreckenskammer.